Ghana’s Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms (GSAM) project

GSAM was a social accountability project that sought to assess the compliance of MMDAs with procurement and local government laws in the implementation of capital projects. It was an evidence-based approach to advocacy and engagement with MMDAs to ensure value for money in the implementation of health, education and water and sanitation projects. Scorecards were used to assess the procurement entities and engagement were held with community members and MMDAs to provide feedback to contractors and the MMDAs. The information generated at the feedback sessions was expected to lead to an improvement in the quality of capital projects implemented by the MMDAs. Ultimately, the project sought to increase community participation in community projects and create a sense of ownership that will ensure sustainability of the projects.